Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction Calvin College Education Program

Teacher Hannah Leong

Date December 2, 2015

Subject/ Topic/ Theme Poetry Conclusion

Grade 1st

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
Students will review everything they have learned about poetry in the past six lessons. They will also share some of their poems by
reading them aloud to peers.
cognitiveR U Ap An E C*

Learners will be able to:

Explain what poetry is and its features

Match characteristics of poetry to the type of poetry
Given a poem, identify what type of poem it is
Compare types of poems (sensory, acrostic, rhyming, and concrete/shape)
Read clearly and share their poems aloud with other students and/or the class
Give compliments for their peers poems (positive feedback)
Work together with classmates to play the review/assessment game

physical
development

socioemotional

U
R
U
An
X
X
X

Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:
-Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.10)
-With prompting and support, read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1 (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.10).
-Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes) (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2).
-Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4).
-Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly (CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.1.4).

II. Before you start

Identify prerequisite
knowledge and skills.
Pre-assessment (for learning):

Outline assessment
activities
(applicable to this lesson)

Formative (for learning):

Formative (as learning):
Summative (of learning):
Provide Multiple Means of
Representation
Provide options for perceptionmaking information perceptible

Provide Multiple Means of

Action and Expression
Provide options for physical actionincrease options for interaction

Provide Multiple Means of

Engagement
Provide options for recruiting
interest- choice, relevance, value,
authenticity, minimize threats

Provide options for language,

mathematical expressions, and
symbols- clarify & connect
language

Provide options for expression and

communication- increase medium
of expression

Provide options for sustaining

effort and persistence- optimize
challenge, collaboration, masteryoriented feedback

Provide options for comprehensionactivate, apply & highlight

Provide options for executive

functions- coordinate short & long
term goals, monitor progress, and
modify strategies

Provide options for self-regulationexpectations, personal skills and

strategies, self-assessment &
reflection

What barriers might this

lesson present?
What will it take
neurodevelopmentally,
experientially,
emotionally, etc., for your
students to do this lesson?

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Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and are they ready to
use?

How will your classroom

be set up for this lesson?

-Computer and projector to work on and show Popplet concept map http://popplet.com/app/#/2793821
-Students poetry work poems and illustrations
-Poetry Characteristics Review Game cards (directions and cards attached)
-Open space on the rug to spread out cards

-large group discussion on rug

-large group game on rug (students stand and place cards on the floor)
-small group poetry readings on rug

III. The Plan

Time

Components

5-10
min.

Motivation
(opening/
introduction/
engagement)

Describe teacher activities

AND
student activities
for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
prompts.
Show Popplet poetry concept map on projector.
Ask students what they have learned about poetry
throughout the unit and add to the concept map.

Students raise hands and share what they have

learned.

Say: Wow! Youve learned a lot about poetry.

Read completed concept map as a class.
Students read along with teacher.

20
min.

Development
(the largest
component or
main body of
the lesson)

2
min.

Closure
(conclusion,
culmination,
wrap-up)

Play Poetry Characteristics Review Game! (see

attached directions and materials)
-Explain the rules and have students stand on the
outside edge of the rug to play.
-Play the game (summative assessment)
-Scaffold by asking clarifying questions. Help
students recognize connections among the four
types of poems (acrostic, rhyming, sensory, and
shape) and all poetry in general.

Poetry Jam!
-Divide students into small groups of three or four
students and have them sit in circles on the floor
with their poems and illustrations.
-Direct students to pick their favorite poem that
they have written and read it to their peers. When a
poet finishes reading their poem, direct peer
listeners to each give one compliment to the poet
about the poem they read.

Students stand on the outside edge of the rug and

work together to match the cards in their hand to
the correct poem category.

Students sit in small groups to read their poems to

one another and give compliments for their fellow
poets writing.

Praise poets for their excellent poetry reading,

writing, and illustrations. Express appreciation for
the fact that they are poets who wrote their very
own poetry books! Celebrate all that students have
learned!

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Final Unit Reflection

I concluded my Poetry Palooza! unit with another poetry work day and then a review day. On the second poetry
work day, I began the lesson by reviewing with students the four different types of poems we studied. I asked
them to come up and point out which of the poems posted on the door was an acrostic, sensory, or rhyming
poem. Students were able to do this fairly well, and if they struggled, I had them ask a friend for help. They
were all raising their hands, eager to come up to the front and show what they knew about poems! We didnt
have a shape poem example posted on the door, but we did discuss shape poems. Students had most recently
learned about shape poems, so they could quickly recall what a shape poem is. I then had students take out their
rhyming poems and sensory poems, read their poems to themselves, and then read them to a neighbor. I
encouraged students to check their spelling in both poems and to see if they could add even better descriptive
words to their sensory poems. I reminded them of the authentic task of making their poems into poetry books as
Christmas gifts for their family. In this way, I motivated them to do their best poetry writing and revising. Due
to time constraints, instead of having one-on-one writing conferences with students at the U-table, I walked
around the room and asked students about their writing or listened to them read their poems.
On the final day of the unit, we added everything we learned about poetry to our class Popplet. Students were
enthusiastic about sharing their ideas and loved seeing their ideas typed up and added to the web. On my last
day at Csar Chvez, the majority of students actually said that their favorite part of studying poetry with me
was working on the Popplet or the big spider web. Mrs. Anderson mentioned earlier that she would like to use
Popplet for science and social studies. After hearing that so many students like Popplet, I think she is even more
motivated to include it in her own lessons! Going over the Popplet on the last day proved to be a great way to
review content so that students were well prepared to play the poetry characteristics review game.
The students seemed to really like the review game and so did Mrs. Anderson. I left the game cards with Mrs.
Anderson because she said she wants to use the game again next year. The game took longer than I thought it
would because students were somewhat squirmy as they waited for their turn. Still, the game worked out really
well! I told them that they were detectives who had to solve a poetry puzzle by putting the cards in the right
spots on the floor. I started saying things like, Thank you, Detective Garret! or Whats the next clue,
Detective Noel? They were very engaged and excited for their turn to contribute to the team by placing their
card, or clue, on the floor. Students showed good understanding of the differences among poetry types! When
a student struggled to know where to categorize a particular characteristic, their fellow detectives helped
them, or I talked them through a process of elimination in order to find the right place for each card.
When I put students into small groups of four to read their favorite poems to one another, they were very
talkative and were not listening to directions. I called for attention multiple times because students would listen
for a couple seconds and then start talking again before I was finished explaining guidelines for being respectful
to those who are reading (ironic). I should have waited longer until I had all the students attention, but we only
had a few minutes left, and I wanted them to get a chance to read their poems. Although they did not have as
much time to share their poetry as I had hoped and planned for, it was still good practice for them. Mrs.
Anderson and I sat with each group to listen to students poems and remind students to give one another
compliments on their poetry. I loved hearing students read their poems and show their matching illustrations!
They are still learning how to speak loudly and clearly as they read and present. However, I was so impressed
with their kindness towards one another as they shared compliments like, I like how you said sweet and
sticky, rather than simply saying, I like your poem.
Overall, I felt that my poetry unit was a success! Students gained exposure to acrostic, rhyming, sensory, and
shape poems in both English and Spanish. Mrs. Anderson has explained that there are no Common Core
standards for writing poetry until third grade, so she often does not know how to approach teaching poetry to
first graders. Accordingly, I did not expect that each student would completely master poetry, rather I hoped to
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give them a basic knowledge of poetry as a genre of writing. The fact that they have all been able to write
acrostic, rhyming, sensory, and shape poems of their own shows that they do have this basic knowledge! As
students contributed ideas to the Popplet and played the review game, they showed that they understood
concepts of the different types of poems, although they couldnt always recall the vocabulary. For instance, they
could point out an acrostic poem and tell me that its special because it has the topic written down the side, but
they had trouble remembering the word acrostic. Students were able to tell me that sensory poems tell about
what you see, smell, hear, feel, and taste, but they couldnt always remember the word sensory. I definitely
believe that students developed an appreciation for poetry too. When I read them the poem on the bookmarks I
made for them, students excitedly told me, Its a rhyming poem! They also shared about a favorite time with
Miss Leong and many of them talked about going outside to write sensory poems or writing the Thanksgiving
rhyming poem.
Constructing this unit plan has been the most challenging and labor intensive project I have done so far in the
education program! I put so many hours into researching poetry, trying to find and decipher poems in Spanish
and English, developing lessons with varied activities, and creating and formatting worksheets. I can often get
quite perfectionistic about details, so it took me a really long time to create each lesson and include thorough
descriptions of activities with speaking prompts and extension questions. I am thoroughly proud of the binder I
completed, and I will certainly use a lot of these activities in the future.
I recognize that when I begin teaching my own class and teaching more than one subject every day, I will not
have as much time to pore over every lesson activity. I know that it may take quite a bit of trial and error before
finding lessons that are appropriate and effective for each class of students. I am thankful that I was able to
practice and test out a unit using the Calvin lesson plan forms. The process has definitely helped me consider all
the important aspects of a lessonclear objectives, UDL guidelines, preparing appropriate materials, and so on.
I do, however, look forward to all these steps eventually becoming second nature, so I can begin to develop and
experiment with my own system for writing out lesson plans in the future.
At times, I felt that my lessons were too long as I planned them out. However, when I began teaching my
lessons, I found that the time flew by so quickly! There were always so many activities I wanted to do with my
students and so many fun poems I wanted to share with them. I was able to type up students sensory and
acrostic poems, but I regret not being able help Mrs. Anderson assemble the final poetry books with all the
students poems and new illustrations. I hope that Mrs. Anderson can show me some pictures of their completed
books!
The unit reflects my perspective in that I worked hard to involve a variety of engaging activities to get students
excited about learning poetry. They loved the two games we played and the time spent writing poetry outside! I
also brought value to students home language by sharing and discussing Spanish poetry with them. With more
time, I would have loved to show more diversity by reading African American poetry, Chinese poetry, Japanese
poetry etc. A cross-cultural study like this would tie in well with a social studies unit. However, I felt that it
would be too much to cover say, Spanish, African American, and Korean rhyming poems all in one day, while
still leaving time for students to write their own rhyming poems!
If I were to teach my poetry unit again, I would extend it to two or two and a half weeks. That way, I could
break up the hour long lessons into shorter lessons and spend two days studying each type of poem rather than
just one. It would also give students more writing time and time to read their poems to one another. We could
even do an activity where students record themselves reading their poem on a program like VoiceThread.
Poetry is meant to be read aloud! As I taught my unit, I found that it was incredibly important to review the
previous days content, so spreading the unit out across two or more weeks would also give us more time for
review and answering students questions.
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The main thing I have learned from this experience is that it is important to be prepared and to think through
each element of each lesson. Along with that though, it is important to be flexible and acknowledge that there is
no such thing as a perfect lesson plan. We must be prepare to be adaptable to our students needs. I think this is
why I love teaching so much! Each day presents both a new challenge in teaching content well despite the
unpredictability associated with working with young children, and a new opportunity to learn with your
students!

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